Articulated nestable device



July 23, 1957 E. G. HENRICKSON 2,

ARTICULATED NESTABLE DEVICE Filed July 5. 1955 28 i s 56 6) F 1 IllIII/[I'll III/IIIIIII/I I I INVENTOR.

# 6 A f oze/IE United States Patent ARTICULATED NESTABLE DEVICE ErlingG. Henrickson, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 5, 1955, Serial No. 519,$25 .6 Claim 1 6 This inventionis directed principally to an articulated structure having a pluralityof components nestable one within another, the device being useful formany and varied applications as described in detail hereinafter.

A principal use of the device made in accordance with the presentinvention is in connection with a plaything of the pull-toy variety,that is, a toy made up of a number I of substantially rigid componentsflexibly interconnected so that the components may be disposed in tandemand thus pulled by a baby or young child through a towing string or thelike attached to the front end. The exterior surfaces of the componentmembers of the toy and to some extent the configuration and size of thecomponents may be so decorated and formed as to simulate an elongatedanimal such as a snake, alligator or the like or the device may be soshaped, as is shown in the preferred form of the invention hereindisclosed, as to simulate a railroad engine having a plurality of carsattached thereto.

The invention also contemplates use in other fields such as in jewelrywhere an elongated device made up of a number of flexibly interconnectedrelatively rigid elements is useful as a necklace or bracelet.

It is characteristic of the present invention that the individualsubstantially rigid components thereof are of progressively increasingsize from the" smallest component at or near one end of the device tothe largest component at another point which may be the other end of thedevice, the members being nestable. Thus in the simplest form of theinvention a plurality of generally cubical, hollow members having opentops and fronts are provided, the largest of such members serving as notonly the last element in the completed device when in extended form butalso as a carrying and protective case for the complete structure. Thelargest of the component elements may itself be made up of two generallycubical receptacle portions arranged in back-to-back relation, withflexibly interconnected relatively rigid components adapted to extend ineither direction from the center of the completed structure. In thislatter form of the invention all component elements extending in onedirection from the largest element are nestable within a portion of thelargest element, while all component elements extending in the oppositedirection from the largest are nestable in the other portion of thatlargest element.

An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a novel device madeup of a plurality of flexibly connected nestable component members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pull toy or the likeadapted to be several times longer than its width when extended inoperative position and capable of being assembled into compact form forstorage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device having theabove characteristics and advantages which can be made and sold veryeconomic-ally.

These and other and allied objects of the invention will become clearfrom a study of the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

l is a central vertical sectional view of a preferred form of thepresent invention, the component members thereof being nested one withinanother so that the entire structure is in compact form.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device of Fig. 1 in partiallyextended or operative relation, the smallest two members being shown indotted outline in completely extended or operative position, and wallportions of another member being partially broken away for clarity ofillustration.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the inventionconstituting in eflect a pair of devices generally similar to that ofFigs. 1 and 2 with their largest component members arranged inback-to-back relation.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2a device having four nestable members. The outermost, largest componentmember is indicated at A and constitutes a generally cubical hollowcontainer having a bottom 10, side walls 12 and 14 and a rear wall 16The member A has an open top and an open front in order to permitnesting of the remaining components therein as will be later understood.

A second member indicated at B is of substantially similar shape to thatof the member A except that the height, width and depth of the member Bare somewhat smaller than the corresponding dimensions of member A inorder to permit member B to be received and nested within A when B isrotated about a transverse axis. Thus the member B includes a flatbottom 23, upstanding side walls 22 and 24 and a rear wall 26, themember B having an open top and an open front similarly to the member A.In the particular example here illustratively shown, additionalgenerally box-like members C and D are provided, each being generallycubical in shape with flat bottoms 30 and 40 respectively, side walls32, 42, 34, 44 and rear walls 36 and 46. Again, each of the members Cand D has an open top and an open front and their heights, widths anddepths are respectively smaller than the corresponding dimensions of theelements B and C respectively in order to permit nesting as referred toabove. Desirably the height, width and depth of each member arevirtually equal. If they are not, then the height of one member must besmaller than the depth of the next larger member to permit nesting; inany event the width of each member must be smaller than the width of thenext larger.

Means are provided for flexibly connecting each of the component membersA, B, C and D with the next member in sequence. In the presentillustration such attachment means include a flexible element 17 (seeFig. 1) connecting members A and B; flexible element 27 connectingmembers B and C; and flexible element 37 connecting members C and D. Asis clearly shown in Fig. 2, spec itically with reference to flexibleelement 27, such connecting element extends between the front portion ofthe bottom of member B and the rear portion of the bottom of member Cand is desirably centrally disposed laterally of those members. The endsof the attachment elements 11,21 and 37 may be rigidly fixed to therespective bottoms by suitable means such as rivets 18 and 19. Theconnecting element itself may be made of any suitable flexible materialsuch as cloth tape or equivalent.

When the present invention is adapted for use as a pull toy fora child,it is desirable that the innermost or smallest of thecornponentarticulated members be made to simulate a railroad locomotive or similarvehicular prime mover. Such a component member is indicated generally atE and may include a rear portion 52 and a body portion 54 provided withthe usual appurtenances such as a simu- 3 lated smo'ke stack 56 toenhance the resemblance of the device to a locomotive. Desirably, a pullstring 58 may be included for use by the child, such string being hereshownas attached to a simulated .cow catcher 6010i the locoi notive. Thecomponent member E .isfflexibly; at-

tachedto the front portion .of the -bo ttomi40 of the next largerelement D by a flexible connecting lelement lfl of each of; thesuccessive component members A, B, C

and D. In Fig.2 such a wheel is indicated generally at 70 being receivedin an opening 72 formed in the bottom 30 of the member .C. The wheel orroller 70 is rotatably mountedon pin or axle means 74, the ends of 'theaxle being fixed to the bottom of the supported component member C bysuitable means such as a flat sheet 76 underlying and fixed to thebottom 30.

similar to the elements .17, 27 and 37 previouslyieferred It will be nowunderstood that the structure as seen in section in Fig. 1 may beunrolled into elongated operative relation as seen in Fig. 2, suchunrolling being readily accomplished since the component members areof-sizes to fit easily within one another. Similarly, the device may berefolded into its compact or nesting relation after use and thusoccupies a minimum amount of space in storage.

In Fig. 3 is shown in partially unrolled condition a device embodyingthe present invention and including a central rigid member indicatedgenerally at80 and made up of two receptacle portions, each beingapproximately cubical in shape and defined by a bottom, side walls 82and 84 and a common transverse Wall member 8 6' which serves as a backfor each of the two receptacle portions of the member 80. Additionalgenerally cubically shaped open topped and open fronted elements are.provided and are indicated generally at 90 and 92 extending in onedirection from the central member 80 and at 9fland'96 ex 1 tending inthe opposite. direction from the'central member 80. Each of the seriesof component members '90 and 92 are connected together by flexibleattachment ele- 'ments, one of which appears at 98, in order to permitextension of the device in the manner discussedhereinabove as well asnesting of the componentelements as will be understood. a

It willbe seen that the present invention, in any of its forms, may bemade of any suitable material such as thin sheets of wood, plywood, thinmetal members, or plastic or other substitute materials. It will beunderstood that although the elements have been referred to herein asrigid, a slight degree of flexibility of the component elements is notobjectionable and is contemplated herein.

Modifications and changes from the particular forms hereinabove shown asillustrative in thepresent invention may be made and are within mycontemplation. such modifications and changes not departing from thespirit of the inventionare intended to be embraced within the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

l. An articulated, nestable device comprising: afirst open-front,openatop, box-like member having a flat bottom and upstanding rear andside walls; a second box-like height, width and .depth tha n the firstandnestable therewithin; a third box-like member similar to the firstand second said members but smaller in height, width and.membersimilar-to the-first said member but smaller in depth than thesecond and nestable therewithin; a fourth member having a Width smallerthan that of 'the'third said member and a length smaller than the heightof the third member and nestable therewithin; a flexible pull lineattached to the front of the fourth member; and flexible connectionelements extending between andattached to the front portion of thebottom of each of the members except the smallest and the rear portionof the bottom of each of the members except the largest.

2. The invention as stated in claim 1 wherein said fourth membersimulates in appearance a Vehicular prime mover. V

3. The invention as stated in claim 1 including supporting rotatableelements mounted on the bottoms of said members. 7

4. An articulated nestable device comprising: a central body providedwith a pair of receptacles arranged in back-to-back relation; saidreceptacles having bottom, rear and side walls and 'openfronts andstops;a set of members nestable in eaeh said receptacle, each set includingaplurality of open-front,- open-top hollow members of successivelydecreasing width, the widest member being narrower than'the receptacle;means flexibly connecting the front of the bottom of each receptaclewith the rear of'the bottom of the widest member of a set; and meansflexibly connecting the front of the bottom of each member of each setwith the rear of the bottom of the nextrear of the bottom of eachsmaller member in proximity to the front of the bottom of the nextlarger member; an additional member configured to simulate a primemover; and means flexibly connecting said additional member with thefront of the bottom of the' smallest generally cubical member. i

' 6. An articulated, fnestablejdevice comprisingt 'a at. rality ofgenerally cubical box like members each having a bottom, side and rearwallsand an open front and top, the members being progressivelysmaller'in width from the largest to the smallest whereby'each member except thelargest is nestable in the next larger member; means flexiblyconnectingsuccessive members and retaining the rear of the bottomof eachsmaller member in proximity to the front of the bottom of the nextlarger member; said largestmember including another generally cubicalmember disposed inback-to-backmelation with the .said largest member,said other generally cubical member being of similar construction to thesaid largest member; a second plurality of generally cubical box-like.members each havinga bottom, side and rear "Walls and open front andtop, said last .narnedboxdike members .being progressively smaller insize and each being nestable in the next larger member; and flexibleconnecting means extending 1,640,171 Yancey 'Aug.:,23,l927 1,660,119Decker ....V Feb. 21,1928

2,278,894 Paulson Apr. 7, 19.42

